Aug 24, 2008, 8:00 GMT
Guillermo del Toro says there are no leading men left in Hollywood.
06/28/2008 - Guillermo del Toro - 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" Premiere - Arrivals - Mann Village Theater - Westwood, CA, USA © Glenn Harris / PR Photos
The 'Hellboy' director claims very few modern film action heroes are believable because they are too "nice" and lack the traditional macho image.
He said: "I think in this time in film, apart from Ron Perlman and Clive Owen, that the leading men are actually leading boys.
"There's no Lee Marvins, no Steve McQueens, no Charles Bronsons, no James Coburns. There's none of these guys. Everybody is a pretty, nice, GQ type of boy. There are no movies about men.
"I don't believe most of these guys had a real life. When I watch action films, and I think Harrison Ford and curiously enough Will Smith are exceptions, they can have blood and sweat make-up, but I imagine clearly their assistant is waiting just off camera with an Evian water and a cell phone."
However, Guillermo insists his 'Hellboy' lead character Ron Perlman has the ideal image to be a superhero.
He added: "I think Ron has that tough, gruff, blue collar, everyday man persona. He represents the noble two-fisted male. Ron is not a classically handsome man, but I think he is a leading man. It's different."
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